Family Responsibilities Discrimination

Family responsibilities discrimination, also called caregiver discrimination, is discrimination in the workplace based on an employee’s responsibility, real or perceived, to care for family members. Employers may discriminate based on family responsibilities when they deny employment or promotions, harass, pay less, or otherwise take negative employment action against an employee because of the employee’s family responsibilities.

Family responsibilities can include caring for a spouse, child, or parent, being pregnant, or even the chance of becoming pregnant, caring for a disabled child, or sibling or caring for an aging parent. Family responsibilities discrimination can affect almost any employee. Family responsibilities discrimination may also co-exist with marital status or family status discrimination, when unmarried and married couples are treated differently. FRD eeoc.gov

If you feel you’ve been a victim of harassment, discrimination, retaliation etc…contact one of these agencies they can guide you and help determine what your next steps should be.

I think many people including myself tend to get more stressed during the holidays and whether we realize it or not social media plays a big part in representing falsities.

It is so very important to remember that what you see on social media is NOT always a true reality. I myself for example, well I used to be “Miss Queen Bee of Christmas“, I loved everything about it, all aspect always on point. I’d have all my gifts bought and wrapped by Thanksgiving, food, desserts etc planned and done. Christmas music blaring, decorating done and done. I had a system and nothing or nobody would mess with it. Granted it doesn’t sound as pleasant but it really was with a ton of jolly mixed in lol…it was “my perfect”.

Over the years though especially when I began getting sick, it became more difficult to keep up with at all and little by little I felt as though I was losing yet another part of myself.

Now, I just do what I can, how I can. Without putting as much emphasis on what was or what I see others doing. I used to beat myself up over it but I’ve had to learn (heck I’m still learning) to just go with MY own flow and I now know it’s OK. 👌🏻

Back to social media, I’ve had many people in my life that have been super understanding when it comes to my capabilities or lack there of and then there are those that will never truly get it. The ones that will see a photo on Facebook and comment “omg wow you look great, it’s so nice to see you feeling better yada yada”. I never understood that, how do people ones you don’t talk to often even think they can gauge how another “feels” or how their life is going from pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc??

I didn’t know wth was going through their minds until that is…I caught myself doing it. Maybe not to that extent but I still did it. Even the times when I’ve admittedly felt (literally seconds) a twinge of jealousy upon seeing something on social media whether I know them or not and that’s wrong because I don’t know their circumstances. Usually for me it’s as simple as seeing their “clean house” lol. So yeah, I suddenly realized how easy it is to do.

I do know however that looks in general can be so very deceiving. Heck most times it’s really just all about placement. I’ll be the first to admit that I definitely do not always have a spotless home or one as organized as I’d prefer it to be but I mean I’m not gonna take and post a pic in front of the laundry, pile of empty boxes or stack of dirty dishes lol. Therefore in photos my house “seems” just as great but in reality I made my daughters scooch to the left or edited a pic of myself & hubby to avoid an eye sore lol.

Life wasn’t meant to be perfect, we all have something or another going on. I’m just here to say…ITS OK! Really it is…so just breathe! Relax and enjoy life without adding extra unescessary stress to it.

Should a mess or the fact that your Christmas doesn’t “look” as good as someone else’s you see even factor into your daily stress? Hellll NO! Focus your energy on positive things such as the blessings in life…family, friends etc.

We are all doing GREAT in our own way! We cannot compare but instead just give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done!🙌🏻

Remind yourself that YOU are doing the best you can and will only improve as you go. You don’t need to be better than anyone, only better than the person YOU were yesterday.😉 You got this!